Automatic train pipe connector



Nov. 4, 1941. J. ROBINSON 2.261,183

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTOR v 2 Sheets-SheQt l Filed Dec. l5 1938 INVENTOR J05EPH ROBINSON BY M sl ATTORNEY Nov. 4, 1941. J. ROBINSON AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTOR Filed Dec. l5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M55/DH H05/wmv BY M T W ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 4, 1941 AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTOR Joseph Robinson, New York, N. lY., assigner of one-half to Roy M. Wolvin Application December 15, 1938, Serial No. 245,841

7 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic train pipe connectors and is an improvement on the construction forming the basis of my United States Letters Patent #2,141,196, granted December 27, 1938, and my co-pending application Serial #244,932, filed December 10, 1938. Among the Yobjects is to provide an improved fully automatic Ythe lock to the connector head at a point considerably above the center of the steam port where the greatest separating forces are carried. The result has been an over-strain on the lock and a pronounced tendency in the lock to creep open. To overcome this the lock and its seat were undercut, as shown at .3l-38, Figure 4, in my United States Letters Patent #2,141,196, granted December 27, 1938, but then these parts stick and drag as they disengage while pressure remains in the connector heads. This fault was overcome, and desired powerful longitudinal draw on the heads towards each other was secured, by flaring the face of the lock and its seat outwardly as shown at 23-24, Figure 3, of my aforesaid co-pending application, Serial #244,932, led December 10, 1938. However,v this outward fiare increased the diculty of keeping the locks seated when under pressure. To meet this problem the lock-to-the-lock or anti-creep `device shown herein and in my above co-pending application Serial #24,932, filed December 10, 1938, was developed. But the separating pressure in the steam port over the holding eect of the lock and the buffer spring still remained sharply multiplied, throwing excessive strains on the lock and its associated parts. Oneof the purposes of the present invention is to eliminate this fault, and lessen the tendency of mated heads to shift on each other and on their seats 36a on the lugs 36 under the sharp whipping movement of speeding In the drawings, in which like reference characters indicatel similar parts,

VFigure 1 is a front elevation of my improved connector;

Figure 2 is a side View of Figure 1 with a part of the bracket C broken away; Y

Figure 3 is a `plan view of the ball member showing certain parts of my improved lock;

Figure `4 is a horizontal section through the ball member I6 and through a part of the steam port showing my improved lock in the locked position. In this view a part of an adjacent connector head is shown, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the steam port and its -gasket looking toward the ball member I6. I

The coupling head A is suitably mounted on a yoke B which spans and is yieldingly supported on the bracket C, for universal movement thereon, by the buffer spring D and tie rod E. The

rod is hooked around the lug I0, Figure 2of the bracket for pivotal movement thereon and it ties the spring D to the bracket under pres- -sure through the medium of the adjustable stop or seat F, the head A being yieldingly held at the limit of its forward movement by'said spring with the flange II of the yoke pressed against the flat rear side I2 of the bracket. The bracket suitably attaches the connector to the usual lug G of the car coupler not shown, with the front face of the uncoupled head A positioned in ad- Vance of the pulling face of the coupler two or three inches. The forward end of the yoke B is pressed into the shank I4 of the head or is otherwise secured to the head. The gathering means of the head comprise a rearwardly extending shallow funnel I5 and a forwardly eX- tending short stubby horn or ball member I5 having a removable part-spherical face I1, the transverse center of the-ball member and funnel being located in the horizontal plane occupied by the steam port hereinafter described. The ball member is hollow and is provided with spaced vertically arranged bearings I8-I9. Bearing I9 lies in advance of the front or coupling face of the head A and bearings I8 lie behind'such face. In the bearings I8 I mount a suitable pin 20, to which is rigidly secured, so as to rotate with the pin, a lock or dog J having an outwardly inclined face 2l adapted to mate with a similar face or seat 22, Figure 4, formed in the head A adjacent to the inner edge of the funnel and preferably on the horizontal center line of the funnel. The lock is actuated through a trigger the ball member I6, and is provided on its rear side with a bearing or way 23 which merges intc an overhanging forwardly extending laterally spaced release lug or finger 24, Figure 3. An anti-creep or lock-to-the-lock device K, which is also an actuating lever, is pivotally mounted on a pin 25 suitably arranged in the bearing I9 and is provided with a head 26 shaped to mate with and travel along the bearing or way 23. Normally the head 26 rests in the throat 21, Figures 3 and 4, formed by the outward spacing of the nger or lug 24 with respect to the body of the dog J, and preferably fits quite snugly therein. A U shaped spanner L straddles the finger 24 and the lever K and is pivotally connected to the latter by the pin 28. The base of the spanner threadingly receives, as at 29, Figure 3, the forward end of a plunger rod M which extends along the outside of the yoke B, through an opening at 3D in the flange II, through the buffer spring D, and through a suitable bearing formed at 3| in the stop or seat F to slidingly receive it. A timing nut or stop N is threaded to the rear end of the plunger M to adjust and time the throw of the lock J and to engage the rear side of the seat F to automatically draw the lock open, that is to say, away from the seat 24 on the head A, when mated connectors uncouple. A bracket P, Figure 2, is mounted on the rod M,

inside the buier spring D, and abuts a stop (not shown) on the road, the bracket being provided with an opening through which the tie rod E extends. A suitable actuating or lock spring Q, Figure 2, surrounds the tie rod with its rear end resting on a seat 32 formed on the plate F to receive it and with its forward end Abearing against and resting on the plunger rod bracket P.

When a pair of connectors having my improved lock are coupled, the ports 33, 34 and 35, Figure 1, are brought into accurate alignment by the funnel I5 and ball member I6, the face I1 of the ball coming to final rest in the curved seats on the front face of a plurality or spaced bearing lugs 35. These lugs are formed integral with the funnel on its rear side and project into the f large opening 3l of the funnel, Figures 1 and 4. Preferably they are so spaced that the lock seat 22 is between the two lugs that are nearest the vertical center of the head A. When the connectors are thus aligned, further -coupling movement compresses the buffer springs D carrying the ange II away from the rear side of the bracket C. Inasmuch as the tie rod E is anchored to the bracket, and the plate F is anchored to the tie rod, the lock spring Q does not move rearwardly nor is it immediately compressed. Instead, the lock-to-the-lock or anticreep device or lever K rocks forward on its pin 25, traveling along the way 23 of the trigger H, rotating the lock J through the opening 38 in the inner wall of the ball member I6, Figures l, 4 and 5, into engagement with its seat 22. This brings the lock, the lever and the trigger to approximately the position shown in Figure 4. Further coupling movement of the connectors compresses the lock spring Q thus placing the lock J under a strong cam or wedging action through the medium of the lever K as the lever travels along the bearing or cam way 23 of the trigger H. Since the base rotates with the pin 20 -by reason of the key 39, Figure 4, it is forced powerfully into the locked position, Figure 4, with adequate automatic 'take-up remaining in the 4lock to meet any condition of wear that may mated coupling heads A. The cam or wedging action of the lock on the inclined lock seat 22 draws the coupling heads A longitudinally towards each other into rm interlocked position with the gaskets in the ports 33, 34 and 35 compressed. The reverse of the coupling act just described opens the lock J and releases the head A. It will be apparent that the anti-creep device or lever K positively prevents the lock J from creeping open, and that it is not possible for any of the locking effect to be diminished by the pressure in the ports 33, 34 and 35. The construction produces what may be termed a lock to the lock arrangement which tends constantly to force the lock inwardly against the mating head and automatically compensate for or take up any wear that may occur on the locking parts or on the joint between mated heads.

An important feature of my improvement resides in the location of the horizontal center of the funnel I5 and ball member I6 with respect to the horizontal center of the buier spring D. Heretofore the center of these several parts has occupied the same horizontal plane, as shown in my United States Letters Patent #2,141,196, granted December 27, 1938. By moving the horizontal center of the funnel and ball member down to approximately the plane occupied by the horizontal center of the steam port 35, engagement of the lock J with its seat 22 is directly across the center of the steam port. As is well known, the greatest fluid pressure is in the steam port, and therefore the closer the lock is brought to the center of this port the less will be the strains on the lock and the better will be its holding effect. Sometimes the steam port pressure amounts to as much as 300 pounds or more per square inch. The result is excessive loads on the locking parts when they are located, as heretofore, far above the center of the steam port. However rigid the holding effect of the lock there is always a tendency to shift the face I1 of the ball member I6 on its seat 35a formed on the front face of the bearing lugs 36 when the cars whip around sharp curves, or over cross-overs at high speeds. To meet this condition effectively and lessen the strains it imposes on the lock, I provide the ball member I6 with an annular seatIa which drops into a complementary annular seat 3'Ia formed in the opening 31 of the funnel I5, Figures 1, 4 and 5. The walls of these seats are extended parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head A and the fit between them is quite close. They produce a rm interlock against lateral and vertical shifting of mated heads relative to each other.

The efficiency and tightness of the joint formed by my improved lock, and novel location of the centers of the funnel I5 and ball I6, are materially aided by the new type of expansible bellows or pressure-actuated gasket U, Figure 5. This gasket, made of any material desirable for the purpose, includes a bellows 40 suitably anchored to the gasket head or face 4I, as by brazing, spot-welding, shrinking or other method. At its rear the bellows is provided with a flaring flange 42 which is pressed tightly against a complementary annular seat 43 on the rear side of the steam port 35 of the coupling head A by the forward enlarged end 44 of the steam tting 45. This tting is adjustably supported on the flange II of the yoke B by means of a screw 46 and a supporting pin or other device 41. The arrangement is such that -by releasing the screw the fitting 45 may be moved rearwardly out of its seat in the head A and turned to one side with respectl to the head suciently to permit easy removal and replacement of the gasket lill- 41. When replaced in the port 35 the U-shaped guide or pilot 48 formed on the back of the head, and

surrounding the upper half of the port 35, guides the fitting into its seat. By turning up on this screw 46 the ntting is pressed powerfully against the fiange i2 of the bellows 40 forcing the same into liquid tight engagement with its seat on the head, and forcing the face 4l of the gasket tightly against an opposing gasket. Admission of steam to the gasket expands the bellows and automatically forces the parts into tightly sealed engagement.

What I claim is:

l. An automatic train pipe connector, comprising in combination, a coupling head provided with suitable guides and having a plurality of vertically spaced fluid-conducting ports, a support for said head, a lock for locking the head to a companion head, said lock being located in approximately the horizontal plane occupied by the center of the port in said head which carries the heaviest separating forces, and automatic means for operating said lock, said means including a plunger and a lock-to-the-lock device which engages the rear side of said lock and which is actuated by said plunger and positively prevents said lock creeping from the closed position toward the open position.

2. An automatic train pipe connector such as described in claim l, in which the plunger and lock-to-the-lock device are pressure-actuated, distinguished further by the fact that said pressure is transmitted to said lock through said device and tends constantly to move the lock in against the companion head and automatically takes up any wear occurring on the locking parts or on the joint between the mated heads.

3. An automatic train pipe connector such as described in claim l, in which the guides include a forwardly extending ball member and a rearwardly flaring funnel, distinguished further by the fact that the lock is mounted in the ball member and that the lock-to-the-lock device and said plunger are arranged on a vertical pivot outside said ball member and directly above said lock.

4. An automatic train pipe connector such as described in claim 1, distinguished further by the fact that means are provided for timing the movement of said lock-to-the-lock device with respect to the coupling and uncoupling movement of mating coupling heads whereby said lock is caused to move to the closed and open positions at a correct predetermined time in the course of said coupling and uncoupling movement.

5. An automatic train pipe connector such as described in claim l, distinguished further by the fact that circumferential interlocking means are provided on the periphery of the ball and in the apex of the funnel for cooperating with said lock4 to prevent mated heads shifting laterally or vertically on each other under the sharp whipping movement of speeding trains.

6. An automatic train pipe connector comprising, in combination, a coupling head, a bracket, a yoke connected with the head and extending to the rear of the bracket, said head being provided with a plurality of vertically spaced ports and having also ball and funnel guiding means, the ball being located on one side of the vertical center of the head and the funnel vbeing located on the opposite side thereof, the horizontal center of said ball and funnel being in the same plane substantially below the center of said yoke and in approximately the horizontalplane occupied by the center of that one of said ports which carries the heaviest separating forces, a buffer spring acting against said yoke to yieldingly hold the yoke normally against said bracket to project and yieldingly support said coupling head, a plunger extending from behind the head toward said buffer spring, a lock for the head adapted to be moved into the locked position by said plunger when said spring is compressed in coupling, andv meanscooperating with the plunger to move said lock into and out of the coupled position and to positively prevent the lock creeping from the closed position toward the open position, said lock being located in approximately the plane occupied by the horizontal center of said ball and. funnel and being adapted to force mating heads longitudinally towards each other with a drawing action as the locks close against said heads.

7. An automatic train pipe connector head, comprising in combination, a base disposed ata right angle to the longitudinal direction of the connector and provided with a part adapted to receive a support for the head, guiding means for said head attached to said base, said means including a forwardly extending stubby ball member and a rearwardly flaring shallow funnel, the funnel having a relatively wide opening through its apex and provided with a plurality of spaced lugs which extend into said opening to receive the front face of the ball member on a mating head, said opening being provided with an interior seat adapted to receive a complementary exterior seat on said ball member to prevent mated heads shifting vertically or laterally on each other under the whipping movement of running trains, said exterior seat and the periphery of said ball being joined and both being disposed well in advance of the front face of said base the horizontal center of said ball and funnel members being in a common plane substantially below the horizontal center of the part on said base of said head which receives said support and substantially above the bottom of said base.

JOSEPH ROBINSON. 

